Friday, July 15, 2016

While putting honey in my coffee this morning, I thought of all the good honey does in the world and of our plight with honey bees and the environment.

We tend to focus on the fact that bees pollinate most of the plants we eat; therefore, it is important that we protect them.

But they do more than that. They produce honey. Honey has a rich and varied history with humans. It has been used all over the world for thousands of years.

The ancient Egyptians used it as a form of currency, to dress wounds and in their mummification process. Germans used it in mead, cider and beer. American Indians used it to preserve fruit and in herbal medicine.

Today, people use it for a variety of purposes although only a few have been scientifically tested.

What we do know for certain is that honey has been shown to act as an antibacterial. It will hamper the growth of food-borne pathogens, such as E. coli and salmonella, and will help to fight certain bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus.

It is also a powerful antioxidant — the darker the honey, the better its’ antibacterial and antioxidant powers...